Proof that Rickon Stark is the reincarnation of his Uncle Brandon
by Amara Lightskipper
Summary: The title itself says it all. Ned recalls the memories of his late brother Brandon. And how Rickon reminds him of Brandon. Oneshot modern au. This follows the plot of my other modern au story.


**NED**

Ned didn't know what to think of his youngest son, Rickon. He was constantly reminded of his wild older brother, Brandon when he sees his son. Even though they look nothing alike. With Rickon having his wife, Cat's auburn hair and blue eyes, and Brandon having dark hair and grey eyes.

Rickon was diagnosed with ADHD at age two, the same way Brandon was as Ned was told by their parents. And his mannerisms and habits were similar to that of Brandon's which led to Ned's younger brother, Benjen calling him the _wild wolf_ in their generation.

It started getting weird his son turned three. Rickon was spouting out things that only came from Brandon himself and facts unbeknownst to them.

The most peculiar, solid proof was the large red birthmark on the right side of Rickon's back. His birthmark was in the exact same spot where Brandon suffered third-degree burns from the car's explosion, which killed him hours after.

Then the one morning when Rickon started talking about his past life. Or so they thought. Despite being the youngest of Ned's five children, Rickon insisted that he was eldest of four. And that he had two brothers, Neddy, and Benjie and one sister, Lya. Yes, Brandon came up with the most ridiculous nicknames for them. And even though Ned hated being called _Neddy_, it kind of grew on him.

"You're my brother, Daddy." Three-year-old Rickon had said. "Baby Neddy."

Hearing his son call him that, chilled Ned to his bones. Nobody else called him _Neddy_, but Brandon. And as stupid as it was, Ned never told anyone. Not even his college buddies, Robert Baratheon, and Howland Reed, or his five children and one nephew. No one but his wife Catelyn. Besides, their parents, Lyanna and Benjen, no one outside their family knew about it. And now, he had heard it straight from his son's mouth.

Things got weirder when four-year-old Rickon started making references on his own siblings. Calling his eldest brother Robb as his first nephew—the only nephew Brandon had ever met, though Robb was only a month-old then; that his sister Arya looked like a sister he once had, Lya; that he had mistaken his sister Sansa for Catelyn with straight hair; and that his brother Bran was like Ned himself, only they don't look alike.

At age five, Rickon started talking about cars. At age three. Ned had only known one other person who's a car enthusiast, besides Rhaegar Targaryen, his older brother Brandon. Rickon started talking about steering wheels, car pedals, gear sticks, and custom car paints. He remembered asking himself, _how in the old gods did Rickon know about that?_ _He's three years old! He's in a car seat and here he was talking about the mechanisms of a car._

Ned became convinced when six-year-old Rickon said his favorite wine was Arbor Gold. When, in fact, he's never even tasted wine or even knew about it. And that he was also the wide receiver of the Aegon Targaryen University Dragons football team—to which both his sons, Robb and Rickon had snatched when they were in college. Again, Rickon wasn't supposed to know that, he was six.

And then he started talking about a woman named Barbrey. Rickon had said that she was his fiancée, and they were supposed to be married but he had died in a car explosion with his sister, Lya's husband while they were on their way to Gulltown in the Vale. At that, Ned thought, _No, Lyanna's not married to Rhaegar, how can she be?_

It was the first time Ned was actually having second thoughts that his speculations about his son might turn out to be wrong. But no, of course not. Rickon was proven right once again. The day before his 53rd birthday, Rhaegar Targaryen's younger sister, Daenerys came looking for Jon. It was the same day Ned found out Lyanna had actually married Rhaegar in Skyreach in Dorne. And Brandon was one of the two witnesses.

When Ned and Robert found six Northern Husky puppies in Oakenshield in the Wall, Rickon named his, _Shaggy_. The same name, Brandon had named their Tyroshi Shepherd breed family dog when they were still young.

But as Rickon grew to be a young man, Ned had slowly accepted it. Accepted the fact that Rickon was the way he'll be reminded of Brandon. And also in many ways, his youngest daughter Arya reminding him of his only sister, Lyanna. That they're ways to help him remember their memories and that their family will always be with them no matter what happens. And coincidentally, both of them married Baratheons.


End file.
